Without Her
by Shipperony10
Summary: If she died. He died. Tony cannot live without Pepper. He exists solely for her. What Tony and Pepper could have gone through had the finale in Iron Man 3 been slightly different.


**Without Her**

Disclaimer: Not mine. Sadly.

AN: Hello all! I went camping this weekend, had a great time, and while I was having some "quiet" time with my iPod and nature, this came to my head. I had to put it down or it would grow into a monster. So here it is. I guess it is a take on how the battle finale could have played out in Iron Man 3. Still working on _Risks and Consequences_!

Sorry for any mistakes.

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All they needed was one thing: each other.

Tony Stark and Pepper Potts could go anywhere and do anything in the world. Money was clearly no object.

He could bed any model of his liking.

She could choose to leave and find someone…safer.

Yet they both knew that no amount of money or lavish living could compete with the feelings they possessed for one another. And they both chose to stay because there was no one better than each other. Their livelihoods…their souls were utterly and undeniably intertwined.

As more time passed and as they delved deeper into their relationship, they realized they were each other's purpose in life.

Which seemed to explain why Tony lacked incentive to breathe as he stared at the dark Miami sky. He knew he should push himself to sit, to get up and leave in case one of Killian's men decided to finish him off.

But he did not care to move an inch, nor take in a much needed breath of fresh oxygen.

His entire body hurt, he had taken a beating after all. Killian had spared no inch of his body as he attacked him on the beams and cranes that now exploded above him.

The thought of being buried by debris crossed his mind for a split second, but he had no intention of saving himself.

He had not saved her. And now she was gone. Forever.

That purpose he had in life, no longer existed.

_I don't have anyone but you…_

A mixture of guilt and anger swelled within him as he coughed through the tears that began to fall from his eyes. He felt the heat from the flames, almost licking his boot-clad feet, but he continued to lay there. Alone. Devastated.

Tony was not a man who cried much, yet there he was, swiping angrily at the tears. He closed his eyes to compose himself. If he had not already blown Killian to pieces, Tony would find him and kill him all over.

Killian deserved his death. Those words circled in his head.

She had not. That stabbed at his heart.

And now he felt like dying along with her.

He just wanted to forget the world.

Minutes passed as he heard the explosions and felt the heat all around him. The lack of voices or screams was deafening. So he forced himself to listen for a sign that he was meant to survive the ordeal.

A loud clanking and twisting of metal echoed off in the distance.

"Great." Tony murmured as he opened his eyes. He knew someone was coming.

A loud groan followed heavy footsteps. "Tony!" The angered voice resounded among the flames, but he chose not to sit up to look at him. "You thought you could defeat me!" Killian questioned him with a menacing glow.

"Clearly I was wrong." He shook his head as he used the back of his torn sweater sleeve to rub his face.

The heat intensified as he approached. "You wanted The Mandarin, you called him out, you challenged him, well you got him!" Killian yelled as he opened his arms in grand gesture. "And now I'm going to kill you." He lowered his voice along with his glance as he walked closer.

Tony lay still. His gaze now on the man who had taken Pepper from him. He contemplated fighting him, however he could, until one of them died for good. The rage in him pushed him close to the edge, but in the end, his heartache allowed him to relax. "Do what you have to do." Tony's voice lacked emotion.

The blazing hand moved towards Tony, aiming to take hold of his neck. Killian's eyes were red, yet they appeared cold, with no sense of remorse or hesitation in them. "You are a fool Tony, but at last…let it be known that I ended you! That I broke you where so many before me tried."

_You're all I have too, you know…_

He wanted to forget the world.

All of it but her.

So he closed his eyes and imagined her smile, her hair, her eyes looking down on him. He gladly accepted his fate if it meant he would see her face one more time.

Killian reached down and nearly had a grasp on Tony whenfootsteps approached them. "Get away from him, Killian." Her voice was low and very stern. Killian whipped his head in her direction, and automatically stared her down. He was not surprised to see her standing there.

That was not the case for Tony, who as he lay on the ground motionless, gaped bewildered through red eyes.

"You can't stop me either. Not even with Extremis can you take me down." Aldrich smiled arrogantly as he reached again for Tony's neck, dismissing her warning.

"Killian…if you touch him, I _wil_l have to hurt you." Confidently, Pepper made her way towards him. Her glare was menacing, her eyes a fiery orange, her body glowing like his.

Tony shook his head at her. Afraid of what it all meant. Everything that was taking place before his eyes frightened him. Was it possible that he was already dead and dreaming this? Was she really standing there? Could Killian kill her? Would he? "Pep…don't" He began as an attempt to calm her. If she was indeed alive, he could not survive losing her again.

But she ignored him as she continued to walk towards the man that threatened to harm her Tony.

"You and what army, Pepper?" Killian asked, still in attack position. Ready to lunge for Tony's jugular if needed.

Her eyes grew in intensity as she smiled. "I am an army. You created me to be a soldier. Here I am."

A devilish laugh escaped him as he shook his head at her. "You are a funny creature, my love. Let me finish him and then I will show you what a soldier I can be." He huffed at her as he reached for Tony's neck.

Tony cringed at the flames that grazed his skin. Luckily that was as far as it went as he saw a flash, which he assumed was a very angry Pepper, lunge at Killian. She effectively sent him crashing into a metal wall. Stunned he sat up and located her. If he needed to jump in, he was prepared to do so. Though, he doubted she needed the assistance.

Pepper got up from her crouch and ran towards him when she realized Killian was making his way back to them. Unknowingly, her strength was something that could match his. So without much effort or hesitation, she shoved him against the wall before she grabbed him by his neck.

Tony's eyes widened as his jaw hit the floor.

Killian grinned at her. "Come on, Pepper. Is that all you've got?"

She squinted angrily at him before she lifted him off the floor. Her hand and arm grew brighter as she squeezed tighter.

Whether her confidence allowed her to lower her guard or not, she did not know. What she did know was that in a matter of seconds, the roles had reversed. She struggled to break free as he slid her up by her neck. Her feet hung inches above the concrete, and she hurried to formulate a plan.

"Hey!" A fuming Tony took the opportunity to get up and run towards Killian. "Let her go." Tony used all of his strength to land a solid jab at the man's ribs. He expected a better outcome than he received. When Killian laughed, he didn't know whether to laugh with him or yell. His hand throbbed as he took hold of it to inspect the damage. That was when Killian, as he held Pepper in place with one hand, swiped at Tony with his other sending him crashing into a mountain of debris.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he grunted in pain. Something had definitely pierced his skin, he wanted to find out what, but he knew Pepper was his only concern. It took most of his effort to lift twisted remnants of metal off of him before he could stand. His breathing was labored as he fell onto his knees.

Pepper kicked and shifted in Killian's grip with no success. Quickly she glanced at Tony. His eyes looked out at her with sadness and pain. He was hurt, but she could not see how bad. A sudden surge of anger flared in her. It would be a shame to have survived the experiment and the fall, only to lose him. Killian had to be destroyed. Determined to end it, she took his head in both of her hands.

What she wanted to happen, frightened her. She had never killed another human being. It was hard for her to imagine breaking her killing-free streak, but she knewthat she needed to incapacitate him somehow.

Killian seemed unfazed as he continued to squeeze Pepper's neck. He glowed brighter as he tightened his grip.

Pepper coughed as she pushed hard at his head. Perhaps in an empty attempt at breaking his neck. She was losing the fight.

Tony coughed as he half crawled towards them. He needed to help her. Even if it meant he would risk further injury. Or his life. A sharp pain forced him to halt mid-move.

But he did not care. He sucked in air to allow him time to recover and he moved forward. "Pep…" he murmured.

The situation looked grim.

And then everything made sense.

A small grin flashed across his face as he spotted their salvation. It resembled the one Maya had held up to her neck when she challenged Killian in the dungeon. If he was not mistaken, it was a high doze of the virus. Maybe one that even he could not bond with. It was worth a try.

Tony made his way towards the device. He came to a stop on his knees before it, and made sure to catch Pepper's eyes.

She continued to battle in Killian's arms when she noticed Tony's fixed gaze on her. He held something in his hand. Focusing hard on the object, she realized she had seen it before. A test subject beside her had been injected with it. The virus was housed in its metal shell. Slowly she nodded at him.

He mustered what little energy he still had left before he reached back and swung his arm to throw the device to her. As soon as it left his hand, he hoped his aim was on point. They really only had one chance before Killian discovered their plan and threw it out into the Atlantic, or worse, injected Pepper with it to kill her.

With a hand still firmly planted on his face, she stretched the other to reach for the metallic piece. She breathed out a strangled gasp of relief when it landed securely in the palm of her hand. A grin escaped her when she turned to look directly into Killian's death stare. "Goodbye, Killian." She muffled.

His smile faded when he looked confusedly up at her. Not a second was granted to him before Pepper pierced his neck with the needle.

Killian yelled in pain, stunned by what had happened. Immediately he sent her flying off to the side before he rubbed his neck. His skin glowed brighter than before. His eyes no longer possessed any color other than fire. The heat in his body rose as he stumbled around. "What the hell have you done?" He asked in a disbelieving scream at Pepper.

She coughed as she stood ready for another round with him. It was not expected for him to have the strength to do so, but she readied herself regardless. "Regulate that." She mouthed.

"No!" His arms reached for the heavens as he fought for control over Extremis.

Tony smiled victoriously up at Pepper before he collapsed onto his back. He breathed slowly. Calmly. Thankful that if this was to be his final moment, he could at least perish knowing she was safe from Killian. The sky seemed less dark to him as he searched its expanse. Stars littered the blackness. Had they been there earlier? When he believed his life was no longer worth anything?

He would give anything to wake up after this. Breathing. With Pepper by his side.

He wanted to lay there forever.

With her.

He wanted to forget the world.

With her.

Closing his eyes, he felt a peace he had never known before.

Pepper spun on her heel when she saw him fall back. "Tony!" Ignoring Killian's turmoil, she sprinted as fast as she could towards him. A battle of emotions circled in her head.

Relieved that Killian was not going to be able to regulate the doze.

Angry at knowing that Killian had still managed to hurt both of them before he was to die.

Concerned that Tony might be seriously injured.

Happy that she had survived it all.

Love for the man that currently lay motionless on the concrete.

Anxious to evacuate the platform before Killian blew them all to kingdom come.

Invincible with the Extremis that coursed through her veins.

Afraid that she may never be normal again.

On autopilot she made her way to him. She managed to force her concerns down into a burrow in the corner of her mind. "Tony?" Pepper whispered as she fell to her knees and lightly tapped his cheeks. When she saw no reaction, she shook her head worriedly. "We have to go, honey." She talked to him soothingly before she carefully lifted him.

In all honesty, she could get used to being so strong. She smiled to herself as she realized she carried his entire weight with ease. His arm draped around her shoulder. Her left arm firmly grasped the material of his torn sweater. Her right hand clasped his around her neck. A small huff escaped her when she realized this would have made it easier on her all those years she dealt with his drunken charades.

She carried them across and silently prayed that she could shield both of them from the blast, and from the fall.

Killian stumbled towards them as he grew hotter. His body melted from the inside out. With one final yell he seized to exist.

Pepper managed to maneuver herself to protect Tony from the heat. She threw them over the edge and into the cold water right as she felt the vaporizing heat lick her back. A pain-filled grunt escaped her as she felt it sear her body.

The water was cold. She felt it in her bones as it pacified the heat within her. Half expecting the water to boil around her, she sighed when it had not. At least she knew she could walk around in the rain without sounding like a hot skillet.

With Tony safe in her embrace, she swam towards the closest span of sand she could find.

Partially awake, and more exhausted than she expected, she allowed the rolling waves to carry them in. They came to rest face down in the sand before she could begin to gather enough strength to move closer to Tony. With a careful inspection of his back, and noticing nothing protruding from it, she decided to move him. Carefully she turned him onto his back.

Gasping and cringing at his pallor, she roamed his body with her hands. She felt for something sharp, a wound, anything that could point her to his injury. Finally, she arrived at the source when her fingers grazed over a jagged tip coming out from his right serratus region. She could not tell how deep it was lodged, but she chose not to pull on it. Instead, she rid him of what was left of his sweater and tied it expertly in a way that could hold it in place while it applied pressure to prevent him from bleeding out.

The thought of him dying next to her frightened her. He needed a hospital fast, but she was not actually familiar with the area. In which direction should she carry them? Where was the nearest hospital? Could she get him there fast enough? Would she just make his wound worse? She shook her head at her options as she rested her weight on her knees and scanned their surroundings. Everything in sight was either coastline, rigs, or tanker carriers. She sighed heavily as she looked down at him. He looked so peaceful, but everything about his color made her worry more. She had to think about their next step.

Pepper sat behind him as she dragged him into the space between her legs. He made no sounds as she pulled him into her embrace and circled her arms around his chest. She was not sure whether she should be happy that he felt nothing, or fear for that. She ran one hand through his matted hair and pulled him closer with the other. She focused on her body temperature, and after a few tries, she was able to see her body glowing faintly. Her only fear was that she might not be able to control it from getting too hot, but she knew it was worth a shot to keep Tony warm. It appeared to work. She nodded to herself while she once again looked around them.

For some time she combed through his hair while she plotted their next move. She sighed when she kept going back to his injury. Everything seemed to revolve around it. She almost wanted to wait for daybreak, and almost gave in to that plan. Until she brushed along Tony's left ear and accidently came across his ear piece.

It was not in perfect shape, but she put it in her ear nonetheless. "Jarvis, you there?" She tapped it to clear the light static she heard.

"Y- Ms. -Otts." The words were broken, but she could make out most of it, and she sighed with a huge sense of relief.

"It's so good to hear your voice, Jarvis." She smiled. "I need your assistance."

"-at can I do for you, -s. Potts?"

Her head dropped to look down at Tony. Her heart fluttered as she saw his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. "Tony needs a hospital, J." She smiled when she realized she used Tony's nickname for him. "I don't supposed you can read his vitals using the ear piece?"

"I cannot. –ut I do –ave one suit left. I will –end it i-ediately. I will be able to read his vitals that way." He responded.

"Thank you, J." Her response was spoken towards the heavens. She was sure it was as much of a thank you to a higher being as it was to Jarvis.

It had been no more than half an hour before Jarvis landed them at the University of Miami Hospital with Tony in the suit, and Pepper securely in the suit's embrace. Jarvis disassembled the armor as soon as a team of doctors rushed out with a gurney. They had contacted the hospital in flight to warn them of their arrival with hopes of getting him looked at faster. Pepper knew they were lucky Tony had built such a system as Jarvis.

"What can you tell me?" A doctor questioned Pepper as she used a stethoscope to listen to his heartbeat.

"Um…" Pepper tried to remember everything Jarvis had told her about his vitals. "He has a foreign object lodged between the right fourth and fifth ribs. Approximately four to five inches deep." She mouthed as they hurried along the corridors of the hospital. "It appears that his lung has not been punctured, but he did lose about twenty eight percent of his blood before I was able to use his sweater for pressure."

The nurses worked on piling electric blankets on him while they rolled him towards the emergency room. Impressed with Pepper's response, the doctor smiled up at her from where she currently kept his pulse. "Are you a doctor?" She questioned.

Pepper shook her head. "No. His suit told me." She smiled almost shyly.

"Are you his wife?" she asked as she put her pen away and continued to monitor his pulse.

"No we're not married. But he's my..." Pepper thought of a word that she could possibly use without sounding like a teenager. "Well we're together." She finally shrugged. "Please let me go with you." Her eyes began to water up as she hurried alongside them. She knew doctors only liked official next of kin, and imagined the next words out of the doctor's mouth would be to wait outside.

Her smile and nod relayed the message to Pepper. "Well you can't go into the surgery ward, but we can have you wait in the family waiting room. I won't make you wait out here in the registry waiting room. Come along. The nurse will tell you where to go."

Pepper was grateful for the woman's understanding. "Please take care of him." She moved her hair behind her ears as she followed a nurse.

"We will."

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Pepper felt dreadful. Aside from the fact that she was mentally drained, she was very uncomfortable in her own skin. The heat and Extremis had been under control for some time now, but that did not mean she did not still feel like she would spontaneously combust. For every hour she sat anchored to the waiting chair, it seemed her temperature rose five degrees. The nurses had come and gone with three pitchers of icy water for her to drink at her request. And every few minutes she felt the urge to stand and bounce off the walls. She settled for pacing the room instead. Luckily she was alone and a nuisance to nobody but herself.

Her patience was wearing thin as she waited for an update from the doctor on Tony's condition. The clock told her it was time to pace again, so she did.

"You're going to carve out a path on our floor." The doctor smiled at Pepper. A stunned Pepper jumped and turned to face the doctor with an apologetic smile.

"How is he? When can I go in and see him?" She walked towards the doctor by the doorway.

The doctor motioned with her hands for Pepper to calm down. "He's stable. His lung was not punctured though it was grazed. We had to make sure there wasn't too much damage to the tissue. We went in and repaired a partially severed artery. He was lucky the debris didn't go half and inch deeper. I think we would be having a different conversion at this point." Pepper released the breath she had been holding. "We did give him a transfusion. He lost some blood so he will be weak for a while. I'm not too sure I want him to be disturbed at the moment."

"You have to let me see him, please. I promise to sit quietly. I just…I need to be with him. I need to make sure he's alright." Pepper pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt herself getting agitated. Losing control was definitely not something she wanted to do. Especially because she had no idea what she was really capable, yet. "I won't disturb him."

It took some cajoling, but the doctor allowed Pepper to see Tony shortly after he was transferred to his own recovery room.

The wires latched onto his body were not many, and she was very thankful for that. Seeing him attached to countless tubes and machines would have broken her heart.

After taking a deep breath and releasing it, Pepper made her way quietly to his side. There was some color now, and that eased her mind a bit. His chest dropped and rose steadily. Her body released the worry she had carried with her when she realized he would be alright.

The doctor had permitted Pepper visit with Tony, but only under the condition that she not wake him. Keeping that in mind, she slowly and gently kissed his forehead before she quietly slid the recliner beside the bed.

Her eyes drifted close as she reached out to lay her hand on his forearm.

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When he opened his eyes he was met with sunlight streaked across pale blue walls. He tilted his head slightly to find where the awful beeping was coming from. A small sigh escaped him when he realized it was a heart monitor. His heart monitor. He shook his head in disbelief, the action caused him a bit of dizziness.

A hand tore him from his wooziness when he felt it grow hotter on his arm. When he turned his head, he found the most amazing sight in the world. His one and only Pepper Potts, sitting uncomfortably in a recliner, with one hand on his arm, and the other clutching his torn sweater over her heart.

He had forgotten all about the night's occurrences. Until he watched Pepper writhe in her sleep, mumbling his name, with the glowing that surfaced on her arms and chest. Her hand tightened on his arm as it grew even hotter.

"Pep…" he choked out in a hoarse whisper. "Pepper." He managed to get it out after clearing his throat.

She did not stir.

Her thrashing increased, and the heat she transmitted onto his arm became painfully unmistakable. She was in an unconscious turmoil until Tony reached to touch his hand to her cheek. "Pep!"

Simultaneous gasps came from them both. Tony immediately retracted his arm and fell back in bed with a contorted face. Pepper jolted awake, dazed, and bleary eyed.

"Owwww!" Tony kneaded the sore spot from which his pain radiated.

Once she realized what had happened, a concerned Pepper stood to examine him. "Tony! Are you alright?" She combed his hair back and immediately pressed the nurse's button. Tony did not speak as he continued to massage his ribs and slowed his breathing. "I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I hope you didn't pull your stiches. I'm so sorry."

"I'm…" He squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm fine." He finished. Before she could utter another word, Tony began to chuckle softly. Pepper, who stood frozen in place, stared at him like a mother would her bratty child.

"What is so funny?" She crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for his answer.

"Nothing. I laugh when I'm in pain." He lied and she knew it.

Pepper placed her hands on her hips and opened her mouth to speak when the nurse walked in. "Mr. Stark…how can I help you?"

"He moved too fast. Can you make sure his stitches are alright?"

"Sure thing, Mrs. Stark." Pepper had yet to correct the amiable nurse regarding her last name. The doctor had suggested she play along in order to be allowed to sleep overnight. The slip-up did not go unnoticed by Tony, who grinned from ear to ear.

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Tony's stitches had been inspected and re-dressed after a few minutes, and they now sat in an awkward silence as they watched the news on the screen.

Pepper shifted uncomfortably on the recliner as her body temperature got out of control. Tony noticed, and immediately turned to look at her. Shaking his head he carefully made room on the hospital bed.

"Come here, Pep." He patted the spot beside him.

When the sound of his voice made its way into her ears, she calmed herself, losing the faint glow under her skin. She adamantly shook her head. "I can't."

"Why not?" He asked her with a knitted forehead. "Are you mad at me? I'm sorry I didn't catch you." His usually confident demeanor gone and replaced by a more vulnerable one.

Pepper stood and walked to stand beside him. "I'm not mad at you." She shook her head at him as he looked at her sadly. "You would have caught me. You promised, and I trusted you. The rigging stuck and it shook me off. You weren't anticipating that. Neither of us was."

Slowly he nodded as he looked back down at his sheet-covered lap. He was at a loss for words, and that frightened him some. Tony had always been a man of words. Often bullshitted his way out of the thickest situations with a well-placed discussion about anything and everything. He made a living out of selling his products by forming assertive strings of words. But right then, he did not know what to say or where to begin. He sighed heavily. "I feel like anything I say right now is not enough." He scratched his head as he gazed up at her. Pepper immediately took hold of his hand. "I know what I feel, but I don't think I can put it in words."

"You don't have to." Pepper shook her head slowly at him while she squeezed his hand in hers. "Things can be talked about at a later time. When you've healed…physically and emotionally."

Tony huffed as he too shook his head. "How are you telling me I need healing when you were the one that almost died?"

"Touché." She smiled. "I'm a hot mess just like you, and I will probably need a lot of time to come to grips with everything, but I know I can do it." She moved to sit on the edge of the bed facing him. "Because we're both alright."

Before he knew it, his eyes had watered, and his throat had tightened with emotion. He fought hard against what he was feeling. "I'm sorry, Pepper." He shook his head. "I thought I lost you."

"Stop apologizing, Tony." She smiled sadly at him.

"I'm afraid I'll always feel this guilty." He dropped his head back against his pillow and closed his eyes.

"Would you like it if I felt guilty for getting used by Aldrich? For letting him use me against you?" She waited for his response. When she got none, she caressed his cheek with her free hand. "Tony?"

His eyes locked with hers as he shook his head. "It wasn't your fault."

"There you go. You have just echoed what I feel. We were both played. Neither of us is at fault for what we each went through." She smiled. "We've had an interesting last six months. I've felt like ripping you to shreds at times, but I've never been more thankful for having you in my life. I love you, Tony. Probably more than you deserve." She shook her head teasingly at him. "But that will never change. Not when you can't save me, not when I get kidnapped by the next maniac…"

"Please don't joke around with that. I don't think I could stand losing you again." He shook his head with his eyes closed.

"My point it, I will never hold it against you. I know everything you do, every choice that you make is for the greater good. I might not always agree, and at times I will challenge you to the point of exhaustion, but I will always trust you. And I will always love you."

He needed to have her near. So he carefully pulled her towards him as he embraced her tightly. "I love you." He whispered in her ear. "I don't deserve you." He moved to kiss her cheek. "But I swear to the universe that I need you more than anything."

She laughed softly. And when she felt her body temperature sky rocket, she pulled away from him. "Let go." She demanded concerned for him more than for herself.

Tony's knitted eyebrows and his confused stare stared at her. "What? Why? What's wrong?"

"I might burn you." She tried to even her breathing. "I feel really hot."

Normally Tony would have jumped at the opportunity to make some snide remark to something like that, but this time he just sighed. "You're fine." He shrugged as he moved to pull her back in.

"No." She moved back.

"Come here, baby." He managed to capture her hand in his as he pulled her towards him once again. "See?" Tony looked into her eyes before he looked down at their joined hands. "You won't burn me. I'm the antidote to what ails you." He finally joked to ease the tension.

"How?" She looked down at her glowing skin, and wondered how and why she did not burn his hand. "I mean I feel like I can combust. Why am I not burning you?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not sure I can explain anything right now." He brought her knuckles up to his lips. "But I'll figure it out. I promise. I'll make this…" He smoothed his palm over her flaring skin, "Better. I'll fix it." Pepper nodded.

"I trust you will." She smiled lovingly at him before she dropped her head on his shoulder.

"Will you lie down already?" He playfully scolded her. "It's been a long day, and there's enough room here for both of us." He gently lifted her head with a finger under her chin. Sensing her exhaustion he nodded. "You're sleeping here. No arguments."

"If you insist." She smiled sleepily at him.

"If I said I love you again, will it lose its meaning?" He questioned.

Eagerly Pepper shook her head. "Not in a million years."

"Then…I love you…_Mrs_. Stark." He grinned. And with that final smile he pulled her in to kiss her deeply. His emotions, his fears, his regrets, and his gratefulness all poured into the urgency with which he kissed her lips.

They arranged themselves on the bed, mindful of his injuries, but with no real space between them. Her head tucked safely in the crook of his neck. His arm wrapped protectively around her. Her palm softly resting over his heart. His legs tangled with hers.

Sending a silent 'thank you' to the powers that be, Tony sighed. He would have gladly perished in her absence, but nothing filled his soul with more life than her presence.

Life buzzed around them. Machines, cars, people, villains, heroes, all moved forward oblivious to the ordeal they had just lived through. But he could care less.

All he wanted to do was forget the world. All he wanted to do was lay there. With her.

**The End**

**I hope you all enjoyed this little piece that cooked in my mind this past weekend as I listened to music in the woods. It had to be written. **

**Also, it's taking me a lot longer to finish the latest chapter of ****_Risks and Consequences_****, but I am working on it. You know how it works…you write something, crumple the paper, curse at the feeling of wasted words, and move forward. Stick with me; I will have it for you all. **


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